Purchasing without media breaks

When it comes to tendering and submitting offers for specific requirements, eRfx solutions (Electronic Request for x) enable simple and fast communication between purchasing and suppliers.

They are therefore superior to conventional tendering tools, the complexity of which is often hopelessly overwhelming for both sides. SAP Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) is no exception and requires users to use tendering functions with countless - often superfluous - input fields.

The migration to S/4 Hana does not appear to offer a solution, as SAP only provides rudimentary tendering processes with the new Sourcing and Procurement module.

Another option would be the SAP Ariba collaboration platform - which, however, is more suitable for standardized purchasing processes than for purchasing organizations with industry-specific and regional requirements.

And this is something that most companies and public institutions in Germany have. In addition, many users have reservations about storing sensitive business data in a public cloud such as Ariba.
No unnecessary information

SAP customers can avoid this dilemma with modern eRfx tools (Electronic Request for x). "x" is a placeholder for the price or specific offers for the requested construction, delivery or services.

eRfx tools considerably simplify the operational tendering processes for buyers and suppliers, as they are limited to the necessary exchange of information and offer clear user interfaces.

Flexible, intuitive text fields with questionnaire functions allow buyers to quickly and easily formulate their requirements and send them to selected bidders.

Informed promptly by e-mail about new invitations to tender, suppliers can respond to inquiries and submit their bids with just a few clicks.

If electronic folders are integrated into the eRfx tools, additional documents or design drawings can be downloaded there, which buyers can use to specify their requirements.

Once all possible offers have been received, the eRfx tool automatically evaluates them and filters out the best one. If other criteria besides price are included in the assessment, such as a supplier's reliability or existing certifications, a matrix is also available that enables a targeted selection down to item level.

As all steps are carried out automatically, eRfx tools save users a lot of time, money and paper and also help to reduce error rates. At the same time, they ensure uniform, transparent contract awarding, which minimizes the risk of corruption.

This means that eRfx solutions are ideally suited to meet the increasing demand for powerful tendering tools. This is noticeable both in companies and in public institutions in Germany, especially as they have been obliged since October 2018 under the new EU procurement law to handle tendering and award procedures for construction, supply and service contracts above a certain size completely digitally.

Gradual replacement possible

For existing SAP customers, 2bits offers a tool that can be used as an add-on to SRM, ERP and S/4 or as stand-alone software. As a supplement to the SAP purchasing solution, the add-on closes the gap created by the less user-friendly tendering functions in SRM.

Those who use eRfx "stand-alone", on the other hand, can use it as a starting point for replacing SAP procurement processes. This approach is recommended for all SAP-based purchasing organizations that do not want to switch to S/4 Sourcing and Procurement, as the functionally slimmed-down procurement module does not meet their requirements.

The introduction of eRfx offers the opportunity to switch to corresponding solutions from other providers, which can be used to automate procurement and supplier management from end to end.

The DSAG survey on the status of digitalization in member companies made it unmistakably clear that in many cases it is specific - namely informational, technical and functional - causes on the part of SAP solutions that are hindering the digital transformation. This also applies to procurement processes.